Page 1274 - war-and-peace

ing himself in bookish Russian.
‘Excuse me, your excellency,’ he began. (He was well ac-
quainted with the senator, but thought it necessary on this
occasion to address him formally.) ‘Though I don’t agree
with the gentleman...’ (he hesitated: he wished to say, ‘Mon
tres honorable preopinant’‘My very honorable opponent’)
‘with the gentleman... whom I have not the honor of know-
ing, I suppose that the nobility have been summoned not
merely to express their sympathy and enthusiasm but also
to consider the means by which we can assist our Father-
land! I imagine,’ he went on, warming to his subject, ‘that
the Emperor himself would not be satisfied to find in us
merely owners of serfs whom we are willing to devote to
his service, and chair a canon* we are ready to make of our-
selvesand not to obtain from us any co-co-counsel.’
*”Food for cannon.’
Many persons withdrew from the circle, noticing the
senator’s sarcastic smile and the freedom of Pierre’s re-
marks. Only Count Rostov was pleased with them as he had
been pleased with those of the naval officer, the senator, and
in general with whatever speech he had last heard.
‘I think that before discussing these questions,’ Pierre
continued, ‘we should ask the Emperormost respectfully
ask His Majestyto let us know the number of our troops
and the position in which our army and our forces now are,
and then..’
But scarcely had Pierre uttered these words before he was
attacked from three sides. The most vigorous attack came
from an old acquaintance, a boston player who had always

1274 War and Peace